How do you define what happiness is to you? Here's a profound list to start you off...

Sometimes when we read about a person’s situation and it can leave a lasting impression. This was the case for me when I read about Annmarie James-Thomas, who died aged 44 from complications caused by cervical cancer.

Annmarie had four young sons and reading her story took my breath away and led to feelings of why is life – and death – so unfair. What softened that feeling was that this amazing inspirational woman, upon learning her cancer was terminal, decided she wanted to leave behind an important legacy for her children, not one of money, but of words. Annmarie wanted to leave a life guide for her sons and this included her top twenty tips on how to lead a happy and successful life.

Defining what success is for you

‘Success’ can mean different things depending on who you are. Perhaps in its more traditional sense, people think of it to mean you have a fantastic well-paid job; maybe you are financially buoyant; you own your property, if not several; you holiday abroad regularly; your children go to private school etc etc. For some, successful may mean following a dream by starting their own business from nothing and making a go of it; or, and as Annmarie defines it, ‘success’ intrinsically means being happy – leading the life intentionally that you want to lead and being the best person you can be, to yourself and to those around you.

Being sure of your values means you head in the right direction

Annmarie’s husband Geraint, found the handwritten note detailing the top twenty tips, after Annmarie had died and they’ve been included in the book she started to write upon learning her cancer was terminal. The book was launched on what would have been her 45^th Birthday. When you read Annmarie’s inspirational advice, it seems so simple yet at the same time – profound. We should all know these simple tips yet when caught up in the busyness of life, it’s easy to forget what’s important to us, what happiness actually means to us. It’s at this point you need to stop, get off the hamster wheel and take time out to think about your values and your priorities.

Think about your values – what do you consider to be important in your life? Is it money, love, honesty, fairness, family, friendship, work? The list can be exhaustive. Choose the top five and from these, you will realise what you want your life to revolve around.

For example, if family, friends, hard work and a comfortable life are important to you, strive for a good work-life balance so you can ensure you enjoy the work you do, earn the money you need to enjoy the things you’d like to enjoy and can spend time with family and friends. If hard work and happiness are your most important values yet you dislike your job and feel unhappy working there – consider changing your job. Your values should be guiding your life choices so if you’re feeling unhappy, strip back the layers and go back to the grass roots – your values. What are you doing in life that is leading to your unhappiness? Maybe you need to re-think your values or maybe, you need to make different life choices.
 
Annmarie's wisdom

I will leave you with Annmarie’s top tips for a happy and a successful life. It will leave you with a very different perspective on your day – trust me.